Background checks work controlling gun buys

Opponents of the expanded use of background checks to prevent firearms getting into the hands of felons and others who shouldn't be allowed access to deadly weapons frequently make the argument that a criminal isn't going to try to purchase a weapon legally, and that he or she will simply go to some inner-city street corner to buy an illegal gun.

In fact, background checks do work to keep guns out of the hands of criminals. According to FBI statistics, between November 1998, and February 2013, more than one million attempts to purchase weapons were denied as a result of federally-mandated background checks. More than 58 percent of these denials were due to the applicant being "convicted of a crime punishable by more than one year or a misdemeanor punishable by more than two years." Another 10 percent were due to the applicant being convicted of a "Misdemeanor Crime of Domestic Violence Conviction." Almost 10 percent were fugitives from justice.

Yet, it is estimated that 40 percent of all gun sales are transacted without any background check at all because of loopholes such as the gun show rule, in which a private gun owner can sell a gun to another private person at a gun show without any check at all.

There's no need to look for the apocryphal street corner - just head for the nearest gun show. We need universal background checks now.

Robert Checchio

DUNELLEN

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Background checks work controlling gun buys

Opponents of the expanded use of background checks to prevent firearms getting into the hands of felons and others who shouldn't be allowed access to deadly weapons frequently make the argument that

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